Monday, October 5, 2015

Quick Reviews: Contemporary Romance Trifecta!

Today you're going to get three reviews for the price of one. And since around here, one review is free... yup! That's value for you, folks!All three are contemporary romances I enjoyed for various reasons. We've got celebrities, bartenders, and MMA legends today...

The title of each book links to their Goodreads page, if you want to check out other reviews and the books' blurbs!

Hold Me Until Morning takes one of my favourite tropes--brother's best friend--and mashes it up with the bodyguard/celebrity trope.I thought there was pretty good chemistry between Cooper and Paris. I liked that there was some play on the pre-existing relationship between them, but that they both stubbornly misinterpreted each other. The latter element was actually my favourite of the book because it felt realistic. The couple viewed the subtext of their conversations through their own individual perspectives and that believably created friction. Loved it.The meddling family, on Paris' part, was frustrating. I'm never a fan of meddlers, and Paris' mom went beyond meddling to running roughshod over her daughter's wishes. As a source of drama and conflict, it's a legitimate one, and I can't fault the book for making me dislike a character at all. I'd absolutely re-read this one. It's a quick, light, contemporary romance read that I'd recommend if you're a fan of the genre!

***

Pretend It's LoveStefanie LondonBook 2 in the Behind the Bar seriesContemporary RomanceSeptember 28th, 2015Entangled: LovestruckAmazon4 starsFirst, I love the bright, bold covers for the Behind the Bar series. I find these covers really striking.Beyond that, I thought this book was middling? I was more curious about the couple from the first book rather than the couple in this book, I think. The story relies on the fake relationship trope, and I struggled a bit with the why of it. I didn't find Paul's motivation to go with a fake girlfriend to be particularly convincing. Libby's desire to help so she could get an 'in' with Paul's brother (the owner of a bar she really wants to stock her new product) made sense, but Paul's side of things didn't really work for me.Family is really important in this book--Paul's trying to impress his big, warm Italian family, while Libby's trying to prove to her cold father she's right to follow her own career path. I loved the contrasts between the two families, and how it all came together in the end.

***

Breaking a LegendSarah RobinsonBook 1 in the Kavanagh Legends seriesContemporary RomanceSeptember 29, 2015LovesweptAmazon4 starsThat is an intense cover! Not only is Rory ripped on that cover, but he's also wearing these gloves that at first glance look a lot like leather cuffs. I definitely expected a BDSM twist to this story, and while it's got a few sexy moments, it never goes that far.In fact, Rory's a very protective and remarkable sweet guy. Although I thought that the relationship here is a little insta-love and too intense for me off the bat, it definitely had moments that made me smile. I liked that Rory wanted to be gentlemanly, and I loved that Clare's trying to hold her own. Rather than allowing her past bad experiences to beat her down, she's moving forward with her life. I did quite like that Rory's got some issues to deal with--this felt believable, even if the way that he latches onto Clare so quickly was a bit over-the-top.I didn't love Breaking a Legend but I was entertained by it while I read it. For that reason, I recommend it to fans of this sub-genre of contemporary romance--MMA fighters.